


"Don't Say Goodbye"

by Anonymous_Cupcake



Series: Whumptober (Eiji Edition) [7]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Crying, Feels like that's the main theme of most of my prompt writing, Heavy Angst, I don't think ao3 is showing the fact I'm trying to put mental breakdown in all caps, M/M, Okumura Eiji Needs a Hug, Okumura Eiji-centric, Slight Comfort, Tiny detail about Eiji's homelife that will be brought up in another prompt, Whumptober 2020, it's a mental breakdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26894311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Cupcake/pseuds/Anonymous_Cupcake
Summary: Prompt 8 (Don't Say Goodbye)Eiji goes slightly stir crazy while waiting for Ash.It's been nearly two weeks now. Ash promised he would be back in one.Well, now that Eiji thought about it, he never promised he'd be back. He just ruffled Eiji's hair one morning and said "I'll be gone for a week." and left. Eiji wasn't worried at first, Ash was normally gone for days at a time. He thought he'd be fine on his own.He was wrong.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Series: Whumptober (Eiji Edition) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947514
Comments: 6
Kudos: 126





	"Don't Say Goodbye"

**Author's Note:**

> As you probably already know, I love diving into Eiji's mental state and psychology.
> 
> Edit: I got a discord for people who want updates about my work or if you just want to chat about Banana Fish  
> https://discord.gg/SfWtu25bbH

It's been nearly two weeks now.

Ash promised he would be back in one.

Well, now that Eiji thought about it, he never promised he'd be back. He just ruffled Eiji's hair one morning and said "I'll be gone for a week." and left. Eiji wasn't worried at first, Ash was normally gone for days at a time. He thought he'd be fine on his own.

He was wrong.

It wasn't unusual, being in an apartment by himself. He had a tinier one back in Japan when his mom kicked him out. He didn't stay for long since his father got sick a few months afterwards, but he was pretty good at taking care of himself.

So, Eiji tried distracting himself. He wiped the counters at least twice, vacuumed every other day, and redid simple tasks more than once. Every now and then he pretended to forget something at the market so he'd have an excuse to leave. If it worked in Japan then it'd work in this restless city, where the lights and sounds kept him up every night as he waited for Ash.

But Eiji didn't have to worry about Ash in Japan. He didn't have to wonder when he'd be back once he realized ten days had passed. There wasn't much Eiji could do in terms of being helpful. He took pictures, but never enough. All he could do was be a housewife, only no one was coming home.

The gang moved in on the thirteenth day.

Eiji didn't know much about how they worked but he knew Alex would be in charge if Ash never returned. Bones and Kong slept on the couch and used Eiji as a way to escape from the mortifying idea of accepting Ash's supposed death. They wanted to do everything with Eiji. They cleaned everything twice, tried to help him cook, anything that required two or more people. Alex was more level headed, and he took the time to explain what was going on.

"Ash will be back." He said first, as if Eiji hasn't been telling himself that since day one. "I'm only in charge so that the rest of them don't go crazy."

Day twenty was the last straw. Eiji locked the door the previous night and called Bones in advance before shutting off his phone. He lied in Ash's bed, hugging the sweater Ash often wore. He needed silence. He didn't want the useless white noise that the gang brought with them. He needed peace, needed confirmation Ash would be back soon—

He needed _Ash_.

It was stupid how useless Eiji could become once Ash was gone. He hugged the sweater tighter, breathing in the faint scent to remind him why he was there. He couldn't remember the last time he ate properly since Ash left. He fell asleep and woke up to thirty five missed calls and a note near his door. He could tell the gang was slightly pissed, but they still wrote that he can call them if he needed company.

Eiji unlocked the door the next morning, and sure enough, the gang was back in less than an hour. The noise was better than the silence, he decided.

After an entire month of radio silence, Ash waltzed back into the apartment, ignoring the gang's loud cheers upon seeing him. Eiji was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket while he stared at nothing.

"The hell happened here?" Ash wrinkled his nose in disgust at that trash on the counters. Eiji tried to keep the place clean, really, but it was easier to just leave it there.

The gang rose up immediately, grabbing the trash and trying to stuff it in the garbage can. A part of Eiji wanted to get up, be useful and help. But he couldn't. Ash was right here. Ash was in front him.

Ash disappeared for a fucking month and had the audacity to show up like nothing was wrong.

Eiji couldn't remember getting up, but he heard the sound of him slapping Ash. The air grew colder and his hand stung, but Ash didn't budge.

"A whole month and you couldn't figure out a way to call me?!" Eiji screamed, tears streaming down his face as he let out the emotions he kept bottled up.

"Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were dead in an alleyway somewhere. I wanted to look for you." _I wanted to join you._

Ash stood there aghast as Eiji continued to cry. The gang were just as shocked as they watched Eiji's breakdown.

Tired and in desperate need of contact, Eiji latched onto Ash, hugging him tightly as his sobbing died down. Ash was as still as a mannequin, not sure whether to hug back or not.

"Don't say goodbye again." Eiji sighed, hugging him impossibly tighter. He can't ask Ash to stay, but at least he could ask for this.

Ash tried to copy the gesture, but it didn't have the same warmth it'd have when it was Eiji.

"Alright."

**Author's Note:**

> You can tell I wasn't sure how to end it asdfghjkl I feel Ash comes off like a jerk


End file.
